As satellite images reveal the presence of “mass graves” near Mariupol, evidence of potential abuse is mounting across the country, the UN warns.
Satellite images show “existence of mass graves in northwest Manhouch,” near the besieged city of Mariupol, reported Friday The world†
These photos, taken by the American company Maxar, look like show long rows of closed graves of a cemetery in the village of Manhouch. Maxar, quoted by the Associated Press, said the graves were dug in late March and have been expanded in recent weeks. In a message published on Telegram, Vadym Boïtchenko, the mayor of Mariupol, accuses the Russians of “hiding their military crimes”. In Manhouch, “the residents are said to have buried between 3,000 and 9,000 residents,” he says.
Evidence of possible war crimes is piling up against Russia, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has announced.
“Russian forces have indiscriminately bombed and shelled populated areas, killed civilians and destroyed hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure, actions that could be considered war crimes,” said United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.
“For the past eight weeks, international humanitarian law has not only been ignored, but simply thrown overboard,” she said.
No confirmation at this stage of genocide
“What we saw in Kramatorsk, in the government-controlled area, on April 8, when cluster munitions hit the train station, killing 60 civilians and injuring 111 others, is symbolic of failure to observe the principle of distinction (between civilians and soldiers), the prohibition to carry out indiscriminate attacks and the precautionary principle enshrined in international humanitarian law,” emphasized Michelle Bachelet.
With regard to the Ukrainian army, the UN has information on detainees random and inability to communicate with loved ones, which raises questions about “enforced disappearancesrespect for the law and the risk of torture and ill-treatment”.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesman for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, does not rule out violations of humanitarian law on the Ukrainian side, but “the very large majority of these violations, by far, are attributable to Russian forces,” she emphasized.
92.3% of the casualties recorded by Michelle Bachelet’s services “are attributable to Russian troops, as well as the charges of murder and summary executions”.
“Terrors” to come
According to the OHCHR, its observers recorded a total of 5,264 civilian casualties – 2,345 killed and 2,919 injured in Ukraine between February 24, when the war started, and April 20.
“We know the actual numbers will be much higher as the horrors inflicted in areas of intense fighting, such as Mariupol, are revealed,” Michelle Bachelet warned.
In particular, the UN has documented a mission to: Butcha on April 9, the murder, including by summary execution, at least 50 citizens† And this is “not an isolated incident,” confirms Michelle Bachelet.
The United Nations says it received more than 300 reports of killings of civilians in the Kiev, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions in late February and early March, all under the control of Russian forces. UN observers are also investigating allegations of sexual assault by Russian troops.
Asked about the genocide charges — notably raised by US President Joe Biden — OHCHR spokesman Ravina Shamdasani replied that the agency had found no information to support them at this stage.
“Many of these legal qualifications – crimes against humanity and genocide – have to be established by a court, but no, we have not documented any patterns related to them,” she said, as France still refuses to use this heavy word.
